Has it really been a year since we moved to Vienna? It's incredible how quickly time passes as we become older. It still feels like yesterday when we were boarding our flight out of Dulles. This past year has been life-changing, and to say it's been a challenge is putting it mildly.

This has certainly been a transitional year filled with
travels, frustrations, many laughs and tears. This experience has not only
changed me, but my relationship with Hubs and our families. I can
honestly say that I’m no longer the same person I was before this adventure. I'm less fearful of the unknown and evolving into a better person because of it. Although I was never one to have very thick skin, slowly but surely, that has
definitely changed too. I’ve also learned to do things on my own that used
to make me extremely uncomfortable - such
as going to unfamiliar places, taking public transportation,
traveling alone and even eating alone at a restaurant. I’d still prefer to do these things with other
people, but I’m learning that I’m perfectly capable of doing the hard things all by
myself.

The travels we’ve done this year alone have made this
journey so rewarding. To be able to say that we've taken trips to Salzburg, London, Budapest, Amsterdam, Prague, Taiwan, and India is pretty
incredible. This aspect of the journey has been a dream come true and it’s
these moments that personally make this crazy adventure worthwhile.

It’s hard to believe a year has gone by already. And through
it all, I do not regret once for choosing to take on this huge endeavor. Most expats would agree that you reach a turning point at the first year mark. It could go two ways - you either start feeling more at home or you absolutely hate it. I've been lucky to have made a few friends and meeting new ones every chance I get. I'd like to think that I'm well on my way to finally finding a middle ground and really calling Vienna "home".